About the author

Dr. Julie B. Wiest is an assistant professor of sociology at West Chester University of Pennsylvania. She received her Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Tennessee and M.A. in journalism and mass communication from the University of Georgia. Before academia, she worked as a print and online journalist for nearly a decade. Her previously published books are Creating Cultural Monsters: Serial Murder in America (2011, CRC Press) and We Were There (2006, Tennessee Valley Publishing).

Julie and her family are lifelong dog lovers, with a particular affection for Labs. She grew up with a chocolate Lab named Sadie, is a "big sister" to her parents' black Lab (Ellie), and she and spouse Christian adopted two Labs (Alice and Nell) in late 2014. Julie has volunteered with animal welfare organizations in multiple states and currently is active with Brookline Labrador Retriever Rescue in Pennsylvania.

Visit her website to learn more about Wiest and her work. You can also follow her on Twitter.